All these Joni threads have got me thinking about her albums, and the art-work (or photography) used on each one (and I'm talking about the main cover, not any additional art-work or photographs).
I really have three questions for you to ponder (if you feel so inclined, that is!): Which is her "best" album cover, and why? This may be better worded as "Which is your favourite", as this will always be subjective.... Which cover best describes the musical and/or lyrical content of that album? And which cover best describes Joni as a person? Personally, it's a hard choice for her "best" album cover, and there are some VERY close seconds, but I'm going to go with The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (despite what Rolling Stone thinks)! Because it's an original Joni, and it's a little more "cryptic" than just a painting or photograph of her. It makes me think a little more as well, and I've spent time really studying it (the LP, at least), which I don't think I've done with the other covers so much. I think the cover of Hejira best describes its content - the cover is stark with the black and white photography, like the music, and yet it's also elegant and sophisticated, like the lyrics. This was a micro-millimetre behind HOSL for my No. 1 position! Now that I think about it, the third question is really hard to answer! Is it Turbulent Indigo - the tortured artist? Blue - melancholy and introspective (definitely not!)? I think Don Juan's Reckless Daughter is the closest. She seems cool and very confident: "I'm whatever I want to be - male, female, black, white. Here I am, take me as I am". I think - I'll probably change my mind tomorrow! Thoughts, anyone? Hell ___________________________________ "To have great poets, there must be great audiences too." - Walt Whitman Hell's Home Page - NEW & IMPROVED! http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hell/index.html
